My local whisky society Malt n Copper Brighton hosted Elements of Islay Brand Ambassador Mariella for a really enjoyable tasting. The stand out for me was Bw5 – Bowmore to you and I – and at 20+ years old it did not disappoint.

Bw5 (50.2%, Elements of Islay, 2016)Colour: white wine. Ok, this is refill bourbon. This bodes well as long matured refill Bowmore brings the tropical fruits to the fore.Nose: What a nose! Oysters, parma violets, honeysuckle, turkish delight and just a bit of retrained smoke.Mouth: Citrus arrival with smoke – burned orange? Then becoming sweeter with some wax, more oysters, honey and barley sugar.Finish: Medium and very clean. Black pepper.Comments: Simply a pleasure to drink. You just want to take your time over whisky like this. Thank you Mariella for a great evening! 91 points. SAVOR.

With long maturation allowing coastal smoke to give way to subtle tropical fruits, transcending the quiet/loud genre of modern Islay whisky, Bw5 goes well with Mogwai.